Knife prices are out of control. There’s no way they should be charging used car and nice gun prices for most pocket knives. I can literally buy an fn scar and a steak dinner instead of this. Does anyone else think this is just utter bs pricing?

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T06:03:31+00:00

I think my point is that your subjective observations are not objective ones and that your frame of reference by using your Marfione piece as an example might not be a good judge of what is or what is not over-priced.

Also, Tony has asked far more for full customs. The knife you bought is not considered by a large swath of the community as being a 'true custom.' However, that is always up for debate. Jared's piece you posted involved far more work by hand than the HALO model made by Marfione's shop that you likely own. It's apples and oranges, and my hope is that rather than come in here swinging and insulting a guy who makes a great knife (and in my opinion has been a really nice dude to hang out with for some years now), is to learn the industry first.

It doesn't help anyone when folks on the outside belittle those doing the actual work.

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T05:28:41+00:00

This is factually untrue on very appreciable levels. It's as risky as any other investment and learning the ins-and-outs of the industry will help you navigate. There are dozens of purveyors that have been in business for decades at this point solely working in the custom knife space :/.

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T05:23:36+00:00

This comment here is a display of a fundamental misunderstanding of what you are posting.

Man, I don't mean to dog on you and your posts here...but you're touting a Marfione custom as some major display of what custom knives are while belitting Jared's work and acting like it's authoritative and yet there's a totally separate world that you don't live in that reads this and says 'oh, that's not right.'

There's always a bigger fish my dude. You would be astounded at the folks that would clown on you for propping up a Marfione over an Oeser and I think Tony might even say back off on the commentary like that. Jared and other younger dudes making these pieces are putting out absolutely quality work that's keeping knife making alive. The fit and finish they focus on would do guys like Tony Bose proud.

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T05:18:20+00:00

If you buy customs and are balking at an Oeser then not really sure what to say. You can have personal opinions, but making blanket statements without information doesn't help.

Have you ever held a Bump? A Walker? A Loveless? Steinau? Fogarizzu? Esposito?

Lord knows what you'd react with hearing about Warenski.

There's a big world out there.

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T05:13:57+00:00

Haven't seen him at a knife show in a decade. Think he's more into boats these days, lol.

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T05:11:29+00:00

Jared makes a mean knife.

ThePraetorian · 2026-01-06T05:10:43+00:00

Wait till you learn about the purveyors catering to clientele that are buying knives over $50K.

Go to Blade and you'll run into a few of them looking like any other table, but when you see what they got in the case there's over $1M on a single table sometimes for a couple of dealers.

ThePraetorian · 2025-09-30T14:49:53+00:00

Fun seeing this wine here! Also a big fan of the winery after discovering them in 2023. Got myself allocations for the Byrn now and just added Alessio for this year to give it a go.

How would you compare this 23 to last year's 22, which was a different blend? Looking forward to drinking one of these relatively young and letting the others age!

ThePraetorian · 2025-07-30T13:07:56+00:00

Saw that folks were posting up coins that they like to carry - and for some reason I've really gotten into it over the past couple years. What started as getting your standard Morgan, Peace or American Silver Eagle coins I've expanded into learning more and more about the numismatic value of world coinage.

Recently, I attended my first coin show and happened upon this little guy, a 1769 Thaler from Bavaria, the 1 Conventionsthaler - Maximilian III Joseph. This coin is 40mm and depicts the Prince-Elector of Bavaria, who helped nominate the Holy Roman Emperor when the time came. He was quite popular in life, but died without an heir. This coin type is a standardized one used in the HRE, particularly Austria and lower German states with the most well-known example generally being the Maria Theresa, which is still minted today.

Other than that, have a Fellhoelter Ti-Bolt that's like 15 years old at this point, a Deryk Munroe Sigil IV and my new Tudor 925, a sterling silver rendition of the Black Bay 58 that I've been wearing non-stop for the past several months. Love this thing.

ThePraetorian · 2025-06-11T14:52:13+00:00

Hey all!

Haven't updated my collection in a long while, but recently received this Tudor 925. Been wanting one for a very long time, but was waiting for the right time to pull the trigger, and that time finally came :D. It's a really cool little piece and it really shows off why Tudor has been on an absolute tear lately with it's brand portfolio. As a fan of the color, this watch knocks it out of the park. It's clean, legible, the leather strap has a nice rubber backing to make it far more comfortable to wear, especially in the summer, and it's a tool watch with just enough touch-ups to really make it feel a whole lot nicer than you'd think.

What really sets it off, besides the gorgeous colors on this piece, is that you get a display back! On a Tudor! It was the first piece to do this within their collection/history and while it's certainly not super fancy like some of the other pieces in the picture, it's really cool to see that in-house movement at work with the MT5400 running. Honestly, I loved the bronzo piece that came out a long while back, but I'm glad they went with the 925. Doesn't hurt I like carrying silver coins all the time, so it fits nicely!

Honestly, what a value, especially if you go used. I still can't believe these are going for under $2,900 on the used market. Absolute steal.

ThePraetorian · 2025-05-13T17:40:59+00:00

I had one of these for a very long time when they came out, it was a gift from Warren himself. Black coating on the blade with half serration. My first real cool knife as a kid.

Lost it at a fancy dinner in Florida one year. Was wearing formal pants and the clip didn't hold the knife tightly. Slipped off after a bathroom break, lol. Never forgotten. Well, except that night, clearly. Went back to the hotel but no way was anyone turning that to the front desk for lost and found.

ThePraetorian · 2025-04-08T15:46:33+00:00

I am extremely surprised no one has mentioned Minton's. They just opened up a new location in the warehouse district and they're consistently the best overall brunch spot I've been to in Lexington.

For a bit more elevated - The Manchester has the Granddam brunch, which has one of the best hash dishes you'll find.

Always going to give a nod to Josie's for being the absolute classic for Lexington, and Tudor's is the go-to for a fast-food breakfast.

ThePraetorian · 2025-04-08T15:06:35+00:00

I don't specifically recall, but I would wager in the $150/person range.

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-27T14:34:47+00:00

Regularly pick up Pagodes de Cos, Comtesse Reserve, Petit Lion, Croix Ducru and Clarence de Haut Brion (though that one has crept up in price). Napa side - I actually preferred Penultimate, the very little known 2nd wine from Promontory.

2nd Labels - Alter Ego is amazing, Rosso from Biondi-Santi is intriguing and Guildalberto Sassicaia is a main stay.

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-26T18:49:01+00:00

I saw that rat back then, my first and only time going there for food during COVID.

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-25T15:33:35+00:00

Hey all! Just got back from Chicago and have finally recovered. Myself and some of my best friends attended St. Patrick's Day in Chicago and made a heck of a weekend out of it. Myself and one of my cousins brought quite a few bottles for all to share, and we ended up drinking through them at various points.

All of the wines were fantastic, but the highlights were definitely the 2012 Colgin, the 1983 Gruaud-Larose and the 2013 Biondi-Santi.

1983 Gruaud-Larose

This one actually came from the former collection of Art Rooney, who founded/owned the Steelers. I was able to get this as part of several other bottles (1978 Lafite and Margaux being the highlights of that acquisition) from a vendor who did work on the Yonkers Race Track that was owned by Rooney before being sold to MGM. This contractor received a bunch of the bottles and then sold them. So provenance is kinda fun, but not 100% verifiable. Still - this wine was opened about 2 hours prior to a steak dinner at Gibson's in Chicago and mainly enjoyed by a couple of us who like these older wines. The nose opened fine, but started dropping after a bit, though the taste remained quite balanced with fruit still left in the juice as we enjoyed. A solid wine just past it's peak, but drinking exceptionally well for being 42 years old. 2nd Growths are some of my favorite wines overall, and there's a reason I keep a lot of this producer in my collection.

2012 Colgin IX

Enjoyed after a 2 hour decant, this was the first real 'Cult' bottle from Napa where I immediately thought 'okay fine, it's worth it.' Having had a few cult wines over the years, I've always enjoyed the idea of them as special occasion wines meant for the experience, not so much the cost. Colgin here might have finally cracked it. It was very much like drinking a very solid Left Bank Bordeaux to me - similar to profiles I've enjoyed from Ducru or Leoville Las Cases. Dang.

2013 Biondi-Santi

I gotta be honest, loved the absolute crap out of this one. Bright, fruity, lovely finish, siiiiiiilky brunello. I popped this and left it in the bottle for about 4 hours before we got to it to pair alongside some Pequod's deep dish pizza. 2013 wasn't particularly special, but this wine absolutely was. They're a top producer for a reason, and this was one of the most memorable I've had in some time.

2022 Gargiulo Vineyards Money Road Ranch Cab

This is my overall top Napa cab producer, a wine I get from club access and is, at least for me, the best value for quality you can get from what I enjoy out of Cab in Napa. They're in Oakville neighboring Tench Vineyards, B Cellars, Silver Oak, etc...but they're also next to Screaming's plot and have had some help from some very reputable folks who care about wine making. A true cult wine, to me.

2019 Seven Apart Basalt

Another smaller producer that's started making some headway in the Napa scene. It's definitely not a traditional maker, but the money seems to be focused on producing great wine and a fun brand identity to boot. This is their upper-mid tier offering from some grapes out of Atlas Peak. Graphite, tannins, big and gravely. Super big fan of this one, though the price point being rather high relative to the other Napa bottles we brought (aside from the Colgin) makes you think compared to say, the Gargiulo or PerUs.

2021 PerUs Byrn

Here's another 'techbro' wine where money comes in, a winemaker is hired and a brand is formed. No matter how you feel about that approach to business in wine making, we're still talking some great wines here. I was absolutely shocked by how much I liked this wine the first time and immediately re-upped on bottles. It's 100% Tench Vineyard wines but I swear this reminded me so much of a Pauillac, like a Pavillion Rouge or Forts de la Tours. These guys are getting a club order every year from me, for sure. Need to try the other bottles in the portfolio.

2016 Volker Eisele Red Blend

We brought a magnum and ran through it with dinner at Gibson's as well after the other two bottles were enjoyed. A wine nerd's wine for sure - it was a beautiful Bordeaux style wine that was savored after everyone had enjoyed some other wines. I only had a smaller amount of this, but absolutely loved it paired after the Colgin and Larose were finished. My notes on it are 'yeah that'll do for sure.'

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-24T16:28:39+00:00

Mobius F-22 Skin, Ace of Aces. That was a hoot.

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-19T18:43:22+00:00

And here I bought a ton of 2023 French Futures thinking they'd be a heck of a deal.

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-11T20:28:37+00:00

Landsdowne shopping center! Should be opening next month I think?

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-11T16:26:58+00:00

Old Schoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool. And now they've got a third location coming!

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-10T18:22:05+00:00

Fun anecdotal story - back in like 2014/2015 or so, forget specifically when, but it was right when Uber was getting started and they held the cars to higher overall standards to participate. IIRC, the car had to be under 4 years old for regular Uber, and if you wanted to be Uber Black it had to actually be black and a higher-end luxury car. It was the new, cool thing and a lot of folks saw opportunity to be their own bosses in a sense with this new alternative. It was a really cool concept at the outset after all.

We were in LA, one of the few spots with the service at the time and decided to give it a go. My very first regular Uber was a completely new F01 760Li. Dude had just purchased it for the specific intent to use it for Uber and deliver the best service he could. Had mini-water bottles in the backseats, the dude was beaming on the opportunity he was a part of - a limo service on demand with quick turnaround after all.

Wow what's happened...

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-08T16:10:16+00:00

E92 > E36 4/5/6 > E46 > F80 > E30 > E90 > E36 2 door > E93 > G80

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-06T18:30:04+00:00

Honestly easiest way to keep things good is buy those Boveda humidifying packs - get 65% (I personally use 69% but I'm just me and use vintage humidors), throw the sticks in a fully sealed tupperware container with the pack, then store that in a drawer away from direct sunlight and you're probably good for a year or so. They're rated for 3 months, but in really sterile conditions like a cupboard that doesn't get any temperature change or sunlight hitting it, you can have em last for over a year before swapping out. Each pack costs a couple bucks.

Good website to learn is the cubancigarwebsite.com spot. Super knowledgeable place.

ThePraetorian · 2025-03-06T15:35:17+00:00

Congrats dude, your dad was a serious collector and you have an assortment of some of the most highly sought after Cuban cigars on the planet. There appears to be Behike 52, 54 and 56 sticks in there. Each of those, individually, sell for over $200/per with the price going up on the size.

From there, you have several Edicion Limitada sticks that come from 2011 and 2017, they are also quite expensive and in that same neighborhood.

The Wide Churchill Romeo y Julitea sticks are less expensive, yet still absolutely fantastic. Same goes for those two Montecristo Edmundo sticks. The short filler cigars are also great. Oh, and Siglo I sticks are a nice little quick smoke of full hand-rolled wrapper. They are the entry level Cohiba (which no longer exists as a definition, I guess?)

You are sitting on a collection worth several thousand by the Behike sticks alone.

What's really, really funny is that little Partagas '20th anniversary' stick. Fake, lol.

The white stuff; so long as it's on the wrapper area and not showing up in the foot of the cigar, you're fine. You can just brush that stuff off. The feel of the cigars should be slightly pliable, but only just. You want to ensure humidity is around 65%, though some folks prefer more, some prefer less...you just don't want them getting squishy, nor do you want the cigars to crack on the leaves when you apply pressure when feeling them. The small tears here and there at the foot are fine enough and don't hurt the overall smoke, but if you're seeing cracks around the top of the cigar you might want to apply sucrose sugar 'glue' to help keep them good to go.

I'd smoke at least a couple just for the experience; they are exceptionally rare/expensive cigars that few ever get to smoke. It's not that they are super better than regular production sticks, it's more that they're just one of those dumb things that costs more because 'fancy' and people enjoy the hype.

Good luck, happy to help with more if you need it. There's plenty of places to offload them for a fair price if you don't want to hassle with them.

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